The ArtsXchange

Inspection report for early years provision

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141164 Unique Reference Number 12 March 2008 Inspection date Fiona Sapler Inspector

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Childcare Type of inspection Childminding Type of care

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This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000

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ABOUT THIS INSPECTION

The purpose of this inspection is to assure government, parents and the public of the quality of childcare and, if applicable, of nursery education. The inspection was carried out under Part XA Children Act 1989 as introduced by the Care Standards Act 2000 and, where nursery education is provided, under Schedule 26 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998. This report details the main strengths and any areas for improvement identified during the inspection. The judgements included in the report are made in relation to the outcomes for children set out in the Children Act 2004; the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding; and, where nursery education is provided, the Curriculum guidance for the foundation stage. The report includes information on any complaints about the childcare provision which Ofsted has received since the last inspection or registration or 1 April 2004 whichever is the later.

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The key inspection judgements and what they mean

Outstanding: this aspect of the provision is of exceptionally high quality Good: this aspect of the provision is strong Satisfactory: this aspect of the provision is sound Inadequate: this aspect of the provision is not good enough

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The key inspection judgements and what they mean

For more information about early years inspections, please see the booklet Are you ready for your inspection? which is available from Ofsted's website: www.ofsted.gov.uk.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE

The quality and standards of the care are good. The registered person meets the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The childminder was registered in 1993. She lives with her husband in Highams Park in the London borough of Waltham Forest. The whole ground floor of the childminder’s house, an upstairs bathroom and two bedrooms are used for childminding and there is a fully enclosed garden for outside play.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of five children at any one time and is currently minding two children under five all day, and one child over five before and after school. She also cares for children aged over eight. The childminder walks to local schools to take and collect children. The family have a dog and a cat.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The childminder is a member of an approved childminding network.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children are learning from a young age ways that they can effectively meet their own health needs. For example, they know that they need to wash their hands before their snack, that they fetch a tissue to wipe their nose, and can readily identify their own, and other children's, individual towels. The childminder implements a wide range of written policies and procedures relating to health and hygiene to contribute to the children's good health. She shares copies of the sickness policy with parents to ensure children do not attend if they are contagious, to reduce the risks of cross infection. The children's good health is also well supported because medication records are comprehensively maintained and parents provide written consent for the childminder to seek medical treatment in the event of an emergency or serious accident. Accidents are mostly recorded appropriately and entries are signed by parents to acknowledge.

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Helping children to be healthy

However, minor accidents are not always documented, impacting on ongoing care and treatment if necessary.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children have regular opportunities to be outside, developing their physical skills when they play on wheeled toys, bikes and slides in the garden. They also take the childminder's dog for daily walks to the park to benefit from fresh air and exercise.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are given a healthy, balanced diet consisting of nutritious meals and snacks. Children enjoy eating bananas, strawberries and grapes, midmorning, helping them to recognise that fruit is good for them. Parents of babies provide their own meals, whilst the childminder ensures these meet healthy eating guidelines. A grid, listing a range of cultural dietary requirements, ensures the childminder is aware of these and she demonstrates an ability to meet medical dietary needs through the provision of suitable foods and the organisation of meal times. Parents are provided with a menu planner to provide additional information about what their children have eaten. Children recognise their own cups of fresh drinking water and are able to access these independently to enable them to recognise their own bodies' needs.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children are cared for in a warm and welcoming setting where they have room to move around and play in safety. They make choices about their play when choosing from a varied selection of well maintained toys and resources that are selected to be suitable for the ages of children who attend. These are stored in labelled, easily accessible storage and are checked and washed regularly to ensure they continue to be safe and appropriate. Equipment such as a step and toilet seat in the bathroom meet the developmental needs of the children and assist them to be independent. A highchair, booster seat, and travel cot allow children to rest and eat in comfort and safety.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are learning ways they can keep themselves safe in the home, and outside, because the childminder provides clear explanations to contribute to their understanding. She minimises possible hazards in the home by assessing risks and addressing these appropriately. For example, a gate is fitted to prevent access to the stairs, crash mats are used to cover uneven paving in the garden and a system is in place to record visitors to the home. Well written policies inform the childminder of procedures to follow if children are lost or uncollected and registers accurately record the children's attendances to protect their welfare. Fire drills are regularly practised and

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 evaluated to ensure children know how to leave the home quickly and safely in the event of an emergency.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are safeguarded because the childminder is confident of the possible signs of neglect or abuse and knows the actions to take to record and report any concerns. She has undertaken recent child protection training to underpin her knowledge in this area and has information on file, as an additional source of reference, to reinforce the procedures to follow.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children are comfortable and settled in the childminder’s home. They happily use their imaginations to make ‘tea’ and ‘dinner' for the childminder who interacts positively with them, becoming involved in their play to extend their enjoyment and vocabulary.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children have opportunities to express their creativity through arts and crafts activities in the childminder’s home and also at groups they attend. They explore and experiment as they bake cakes or play with tinsel and shredded paper. They have access to messy play materials such as cornflour, shaving foam and jelly, learning about the properties of different media.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The children meet police officers and visit the fire station to learn about people who help us in the local community. Children visit the park to feed the ducks and squirrels. In addition, trips to the Recycling Hut, the Thames Barrier, the farm and the Bethnal Green Toy Museum are both enjoyable and informative. Children help the childminder to choose the menu for the following week and go shopping with her to find their ingredients. This gives them a sense of responsibility and helps develop a range of skills.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The childminder takes lots of photos of the children engaged in their many activities. The children take great pleasure in identifying themselves and their friends in the photographs and describe what they are doing and places they have visited. The childminder carries out brief written observations and uses these to monitor the children’s individual progress.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children are learning about the world around through the provision of well thought out resources that reflect different cultures, abilities and backgrounds. These include small world figures representing those with a disability, dolls, puzzles, books and dressing up clothes. They celebrate a range of festivals at the groups they attend and take part in enjoyable craft activities, such as making cards for Eid, to contribute to their understanding of people’s differences and similarities. Registration forms include information about the individual children to ensure the childminder recognises their likes and dislikes and specific care needs.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The childminder has been proactive in her care of children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities by seeking the appropriate training to enable her to meet their medical needs. She works effectively with parents to ensure children are able to reach their full potential whilst in her care and has recently attended a course to further develop her knowledge of working with children with additional needs.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children are provided with a very good role model when the childminder shows a warm and caring approach to all the children in her care. This is reflected by the older children showing

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Helping children make a positive contribution

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 lots of consideration for the younger children in the setting. Children understand the basic rules of the home and show respect for their environment by making sure they tidy up their toys before their snack, saying ‘we must tidy up because we're finished’.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Parents receive a daily written diary about their child’s sleep patterns, eating and any other significant information to keep them informed about their child’s day. This is a two way information system where parents also have the opportunity to contribute their own comments, to successfully promote continuity of care. Parents are very well informed about the provision in general because they are supplied with information packs that include details of the weekly routine, sample menus and the sick child policy, and the childminder informs parents of how they can complain and has a complaints log in place. They provide a range of written consents for example, for sun cream, photographs and travel, to ensure their wishes are fully known.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Children play and learn in a well organised setting where the childminder knows them well, helping them feel secure and comfortable. She ensures that the care of over eights does not adversely affect the care of the younger children to enable all children to benefit from their time at the provision. Suitable arrangements are in place to provide cover in the case of an emergency.

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Organisation

The childminder has a good understanding of the National Standards and the accompanying guidance and has organised her file to reflect these. This helps her to effectively review her practises and the impact they have on the outcomes for minded children. She chooses to undertake relevant training to develop her knowledge in specific areas of childcare. The childminder has chosen to independently update her Criminal Record Bureau check and other household members have been subjected to relevant checks to underpin their suitability to be in contact with minded children. Most documentation is well maintained to promote the children's well-being. The childminder meets the needs of the range of children for whom she provides.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection a recommendation was set relating to the provision of activities suitable for older children. The childminder has increased her range of books, board games and construction toys. In addition, a computer and other art and craft activities provide sufficient resources that are stimulating and suitable for children over five.

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Complaints since the last inspection

Since the last inspection there have been no complaints made to Ofsted that required the provider or Ofsted to take any action in order to meet the National Standards. The provider is required to keep a record of complaints made by parents, which they can see on request. The complaints record may contain complaints other than those made to Ofsted.

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Complaints since the last inspection

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE

The quality and standards of the care are good. The registered person meets the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding.

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The quality and standards of the care

To improve the quality and standards of care further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s): • ensure even minor accidents or injuries are recorded

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The quality and standards of the care

set out in the leaflet Complaints about Ofsted Early Years: concerns or complaints about Ofsted's role in regulating and inspecting childcare and early education (HMI ref no 2599) which is available from Ofsted's website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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The quality and standards of the care

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000

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